A World Unknown
by soleris
Summary: Maggie is your average canadian girl on vacation. That is, until she meets a remarkable boy from the wizarding world who turns her life upside down.~*~ REVIEW!!!CHAPTER 13 up with the library, those little midget house elves and the kitchens.
1. A Bleak Outlook

I should be grateful. She thought. 

After all, it isn't every day that a 14 year old girl gets to go to Europe. 

Maggie's aunt and uncle offered to house her for 6 weeks over the summer holiday. They must have missed having children of their own, ever since cousin Morgan moved out, and felt that they had a void to fill. The empty-nest syndrome is common, after all. 

What concerned her was the absence of people her own age to associate with. She was mostly going to be there for the local history, but the ancient and all mighty tourist-traps of England could only keep her occupied for so long.... 

She managed to catch the eye of one of the stewardesses patrolling the aisles. 

"What time will we be arriving in London, miss?"

"Ohh, i would say in another 4 hours." The woman beamed down at her before strutting off to attend to another passenger.

Maggie offered a weak smile and nod as her thoughts turned back to her destination. Once more, she drew the rumpled piece of paper from her pocket that offered the directions to her summer residence with aunt Rose and uncle Randy. She pushed her square-rimmed glasses up her nose and read:

Randy and Rose Saunders

West Manchester

Number Three Privet Drive 

In their e-mails, they had told her all about the wonderful and exciting flower shows, markets, and general culture of their spot on the map. To her, it seemed like they were trying too hard to sell her on the idea of staying with them. Way too hard.

Stuffing the paper back into the pocket of her jeans, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

One way or another, this was going to be an interesting summer


	2. The Boy Next Door

Two weeks into her stay, and she hadn't spent a minute more than necessary at the house. Up until today, that is. Above all else, she refused to let herself get bored this summer.

Refused. Absolutely. 

Damn, she was bored.

For three hours, he had sat on the front step of Number Three Privet drive, talking to a cat, (yes, she likes to talk to cats) about the things she had seen and done in London and area over the past two weeks. 

After much deliberation, Maggie settled on the name allouitious for the cat. It was fitting as it reminded her of a worn stuffed bear of the same name that her Grandma had left to her when she passed on. It possessed the same shaggy grey fur and amber eyes, an unusual combination. 

The day had been hot, to say the least, and beads of sweat had formed at her temples. She held a cool glass of water as she stroked allouitious and hummed to herself. Several times she had heard a woman next door scold someone, but thought nothing of it.

She was pulled abruptly from her thoughts as a sharp yelp of pain followed by muttered curses reached her ears. It seemed to be coming from behind their neighbors fence which was so high that she had to hoist herself up into the branches of a low tree to see. There, crouching low to the ground and sifting through the flowers, occasionally yanking a weed from the earth, was a boy. He had messy jet black hair and was wearing clothes, that seemed far to big for his lithe frame. His back was alarmingly sunburnt and she could see that he was labouring against the heat.

Without thinking, Maggie smiled from her position, straggling the tree branch, and said "Hi!"

The boy looked as though he had been hit by a bus! He gave a yell and jumped from where he had crouched, stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. He lay there for a moment, shielding himself with his arms, as if expecting to be attacked, but finally lowered them. He was greeted by the sight of Maggie, straddling the tree and looking at him with her head cocked to the side, as though he were some sort of enigma.

"Hi," she said again. With another smile.

"Who...who are you?" The boy asked, he stood back as though he expected her to pounce upon him at any moment.

"Oh!, Sorry! I must have really startled you, I'm Maggie, I'm here for the summer, staying with your neighbors."She swung into his yard down from the tree.

The boy gave an audaible sigh of relief and seemed to relax. Now that she was on the ground with him, she saw that he had brilliant green eyes, partly concealed by thick-rimmed round glasses, as well as what appeared to be a lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead which he tried to conceal by smoothing his hair over, to no avail, as they surveyed each other.

"Nice to meet you," the boy said extending his hand, "I'm Harry Potter." 

She accepted his offered gesture, then scanned the yard. "I thought I heard someone yell," she looked concerned."Was that you?" He blushed for a minute and then held out his hand, a shallow slice across the palm was leaking blood down his fingers. "Yeah," he said sheepishly,"umm, sorry if i startled you..."

"What! You should do something about that, you know!" She dug about her pockets and produced a strip of bandage."Here, let me."

"Do you always keep first-aid supplies on you?" Harry asked. This time, it was Maggie's turn to blush. "I used to be in girl guides.." She said with a little chuckle."I suppose it rubbed off on me." She tied off the bandage and stood straight just as a skinny, harsh-faced, woman in a pink dress came charging across the yard. Harry followed her gaze and turned just as the woman reached them.

"Hello, Aunt Petunia," Harry sighed,"I was just getting back to work."

"Good!" She snapped, then she turned her gaze to Maggie. "Who are you then?!" Maggie stammered under her glare "I...umm..I'm Maggie...From next door." Aunt Petunia frowned for a moment and then nodded.

"Yes, I do believe Rose mentioned you." She said. "Well, boy, back to work!" She turned on her heel and stormed back into the house. Maggie gaped at her retreating form before turning back to Harry. Amazingly, he seemed unruffled.

"Does she always treat you like that?" She said, still wide-eyed.

"Yeah, but it doesn't bother me. Its really no big deal." He shifted his feet and stared at the ground. "You had better leave though, before she comes back out..."

Not wanting to get Harry into further trouble, she nodded and turned towards the gate. Just before she closed it she waved and Harry smiled back.

Things were starting to look up.

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A/N: This chapter was a little bit longer. I have a really good idea, but im only going to continue writing if I get reviews. Sorry, but i cant write if no one is going to read. I'll post again after 10 reviews. Thanx. 


	3. Strange Encounter

Maggie awoke the next day to a sharp, tapping sound. She groggily lifted her head and put on her glasses. It didn't seem to be coming from her room, rather, somewhere outside. She lifted her water off the nightstand and walked to the window, and when she reached it, gaped and nearly dropped the glass. Not ten feet away, was a snowy white owl, tapping on a barred and locked window. Upon closer inspection, she realized that harry was on the other side, with his nose pressed against the glass. She hoisted her window open and leaned out as far as she could for a better look, nearly falling out in the process. Harry appeared to be trying to pick the lock on the window, and he wasn't having any luck. Every few minutes he would drop the pin and mutter to himself.

Now, Maggie, being an expert lockpick out of necessity, (no one will ever know how often she picked locks for access to the bathroom, MAN, brothers are annoying.) bounded to her bedside table an grasped a hair pin, then, without a second thought, slid onto the roof and jumped the short distance between the houses. Crawling along the shingles, she reached Harry's window and caught his attention. His reaction was much akin to the first time. He gave a start and fell backwards off the bed he had been kneeling on. Maggie grimaced and motioned for him to pull the glass portion of the window open. He did so, if reluctantly and awaited the barrage of questions that were sure to be coming. With not a word, Maggie reached inside the bars and pressed the pin into the lock. With a few good turns, and just the right pressure, she was greeted with a satisfying click and she pulled the lock away. Harry looked very relieved once he had shut the door to the owls tiny cage. He turned very red and looked at his feet once more. "So, I suppose you're wondering what I'm doing with an owl..." He mumbled.

"Not at all, Harry. I had a snake once. Strange pets are the best ones." She assured him. "That has got to be the most beautiful bird I've ever seen, too." At this, Harry brightened and looked up again. 

Just then, a giant, red-faced man burst into the room. He took one look et the scene, and a look of pure hated crossed his face as his eyes rested on Maggie. "NOT THIS TIME YOU DON'T!!!" He roared, diving straight for her. His large hands connected with her shoulders and she felt herself teeter off balance. Her feet slipped out from under her and she fell head over heels down the shingles. The last thing she saw, before dissapearing off the edge of the roof, was the face of an enraged Harry, holing what seemed to be a Wooden stick. 

Great. Thought Maggie sarcastically, that'll help. Then, the world went black.


	4. excuses

Disclaimer:: I don't own harry Potter and his Potter-verse. I'm making no money off this story. Isn't that obvious?!::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

I don't think anyone is ever going to review my stories so i've sort of given up on the reviewers out there.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::; 

**A World Unknown. Chapter 4: insert suggestion here -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"....fine after some rest, but i still don't see how this came about!"

Maggie lifted her head from the pillow and scanned the room. Everything was blurry. She heard the familiar voice of aunt Rose and vaugely wondered what she was doing in bed.

The morning's events came back to her in a rush. She sat up with a start and immediately regretted it when pain shot through her head. She rubbed her temples in a vain attempt to make it go away. 

Aunt Rose rushed across the room and pushed her back into the bed. 

"Oh Maggie! Can you hear me?! Are you ok!?" 

Maggie brushed her off with many assurances that she would be fine, put on her glasses, and slid out of the bed. Her Uncle Randy was headed out the door and down the stairs.

"Is Harry OK?....." She started.

"What? You mean the boy? I suppose so...." She looked ready to cry, so for the sake of her sanity, Maggie rushed out of the room and down the stairs after Uncle Randy. 

The mood in the living room was very tense. The man who had pushed her, and Harry's Aunt Petunia, were sitting side by side on the couch, wringing their hands. Across from them sat a very cross looking Uncle Randy. When she entered the room, they all stood up and began fussing over her. 

She warded them off and finally managed to work out that the man was Harry's Uncle, Vernon Dursley. Regardless, she kept a wary eye on him. Its not so easy to forgive a stranger who pushed you off his roof. All she really wanted to know was what happened after she fell off the roof and she was about to ask when she was cut off by the rushed apologies of the beefy Mr. Dursley. 

"So sorry...no harm meant...strangers in the neighborhood lately....." He muttered.

"Where's Harry?!" She demanded.

Mr. Dusleys expression darkened considerably when she mentioned his name but he covered it up quickly and explained that Harry was in shock over the morning's events and needed to sleep. Maggie highly doubted this but decided to keep her mouth shut.

Auntie Rose rushed down the steps, much more composed than before, and offered to make some tea for them all. While she was in the kitchen, Uncle Randy insisted on hearing exactly how his niece came to be unconsious in the Dursley's backyard. As Mr. Dursley explained it, he awoke that morning to strange noises coming from his nephews room, and when he came in to investigate, he found a stranger climbing through the window. Naturally, as he put it, he tried to defend his home. 

This may not have been quite how Maggie saw things, but she didn't want any questions raised about why she was on the roof in the first place and it seemed that so long as no suspicions were laid on Mr. Dursleys back, none would be laid on hers. She really didn't want to get Harry in any deeper trouble than he was surely already in. 

When Auntie Rose returned with the tea, the conversation turned to lighter matters. Apparently, the Dursleys had been friends with her Aunt and Uncle for some time so no hard feelings were held. 

Maggie let her mind wander to the moment before she had slipped off the roof. Harry had pulled a long, thin stick out of his pocket and actually seemed to think it would help the situation.' To each his own', she thought. She came back to reality just in time to hear Mrs. Dursley invite them all to Sunday dinner tomorrow night. 

"Dudley will be so pleased to have someone to spend the afternoon with." She gushed. "He really is a charming boy!"

Yeah right.

At least dinner would give her a chance first hand to see how Harry was doing. She meant to ask him about that stick, and more about his cool owl. 

After the Dursleys left, Both her Aunt and Uncle Fussed over her some more and then sent her back up for some more rest. But instead of resting, she thought of the strange, raven-haired boy next door. He seemed really shy and clumsy, but not in an i-like-you-as-more-than-a-friend-way. After all, no guy had ever really liked her that way. More like: Im-a-wary-guy-and-have-reason-to-be way. Mabye she was reading too deep into things; but there was something different about Harry Potter, and she had every intention to find out what it was.------------------------

TBC----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: I have a good general direction going and yes, Maggie is going to go to Hogwarts. But not in the usual: i-suddenly-develop-magic-powers-and-start-school-in-my-fifth-year sort of way. Nope, i have something wayyyy more interesting in mind. 

**BPlease review.B**


	5. Dinner With The Dursleys

I'm proud to say, that i finally got a review!!! Mwahahahaha 

This Chapter is dedicated too: Brigade701------ http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=20118

Go read his stuff now, he's got some awesome writings in progress. Go I Say!!!

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**A World Unknown --Chapter Five: Dinner With The Dursleys**

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The night of the dinner, Maggie made sure to have a plan of action at hand. 

Harry seemed to be very secluded, staying in his room most of the time. Also, she doubted that the Dursley's were very leniant with him under any circumstances. She would be sure to find the opportunity to talk with him alone, even at the risk of embarrassing her aunt and uncle.

Partly because it was Sunday dinner, and partly because she wanted to impress the Dursleys, Auntie Rose made Maggie wear a dress.

Now, to any ordinary girl, this may have been no problem whatsoever. To some, it would even be delightful. Sadly, Maggie wasn't any ordinary girl, and thus, hated dresses with a passion. In the rare event she did wear one, she felt silly. Like a mindless doll. Not that she held anything against girls who wore dresses, but they just weren't her style. 

Stupid, really. But how does she run or sit properly in a dress? As if to add insult to injury, the dress was pink. A stupid little sundress. Maggie had never really had any problems with confidence, but like any girl, she wasn't perfect. Her shoulder length golden brown hair had been pulled up into a clip, but a few stray tendrils brushed her neck. She went without makeup, as usual, but she did wear some jewelry, just for fun.

Before she left, she glanced in the dresser mirror. The worst thing about her appearance was that she had no unusual traits. She would never let it show, but Maggie had always been jealous of girls who had unusual attractive traits. It was hard not to be when she was average in every aspect. She was not tall or short, neither fat or thin, not dark skin, or fair. Her eyes were a blend of all colors, blue, green, brown and such. She had a straight nose and teeth; full lips and glasses. If only she had some defining characteristic of her own.......

Harry, on the other hand had it all. Jet black hair, shocking green eyes, and that unusual scar.......

Oh well. She thought. Back to the present, and her task at hand.

Number four privet drive was the most unremarkable residence she had ever seen. The carpet was a dull beige. Dull old pictures lined the walls and the furniture was covered in lace doilies.

The only thing modern about the whole house were the games, toys and gadgets owned by Dudley Dursley, their fat, spoiled son.

The moment that Maggie laid eyes on Dudley's massive bulk. She immediately disliked this spoiled pig of a boy. His huge clothes were stretched tight across his massive frame, and he had to turn to the side to fit through the doorframes between the rooms.

They chatted in the sitting room about trivial things, like the weather and drills for while until Mrs. Dursley excused herself to check on dinner. Maggie held her tongue against asking about Harry because she knew it would only bring trouble. But she was itching to know where he was. She fidgeted in her seat until they were called into the dining room for dinner, and was surprised to find, that Harry wouldn't be joining them. 

All through the tomato soup, Mr. Dursley went on about the ourageoous cost of fresh fish until Maggie just couldn't take it anymore. 

"May i please use your washroom?" She inquired. Mr. Dursley looked very put off at being interrupted but he nodded and said.

"Up the stairs and to your left."

Brilliant! Maggie thought. Second floor is where Harry stays! She sprinted up the steps and began peeking into the rooms. The first was the bathroom. Yeah right, She thought. Next was a huge room packed full of so many different televisions, toys, games, and computers that it could belong to no other than Dudley Dursley. Third down the hall was an equally large room that housed a huge bed, a television and an attached bathroom. Must have been Mr and Mrs. Dursleys then. 

The last room in the hall was a tiny one. Modest in furnishings and decor. Sure enough though, Harry lay sprawled out on the tiny bed under the window. Perfect!

"Psstt!!" Maggie whispered. "Harry! Harry, come here!"

At the sound of her voice, Harry's head snapped up and he took on that guarded look again. He rushed over to the door and pulled her in. A quick glance at her dress made Maggie blush. Oh how she hated this dress!

"Maggie! What are you doing here?" He whispered. "You'll be in a lot of trouble!"

She scowled at him and said: "what exactly happened yesterday morning? Firstly, you have an owl, even though your aunt and uncle are cruel to you! There is nooo way they would let you have an owl! And what about when i fell off the roof?! You just waved a stupid stick around like it would help! All I want to know is what is going on with you!"

She had said this all so fast that it took Harry a minute to figure out what she had said.

"Well...I, er..you see..the thing is.....I.......I'm....It wasn't what you think you saw! Why would I wave a stick around? You must be crazy!" Even though his words made sense, the cornered look he wore and the waver in his voice told Maggie that it wasn't the truth, so she pushed him farther.

"Oh no you don't! Lie to me and die Harry Potter!!"

It was Harry's turn to get annoyed. 

"What! What are you talking about?!Why would i lie?" 

"You tell me!"

"Now you listen! I don't .....

Before he could say another word. There was a sharp crash from downstairs, followed by a few muttered curses. Maggie remembered that she had been gone for almost 5 minutes and they were probably waiting downstairs for her.

She turned to Harry.

"I didn't mean to be so rude Harry.... But i still want to know what happened that morning, all right?" Harry looked apprehensive, but before he could get a chance to respond, Maggie had slipped out the door and down the stairs.

The rest of the dinner dragged on slowly. She hadn't managed to accomplish anything, only deeper rooted her suspicions about Harry Potter. 

After Dinner, they bid farewell to the Dursleys and headed back to #3. Randy and Rose were so wrapped up in talking about the dinner, that they hadn't noticed that Maggie had fallen behind, lost in her thoughts. She was still lingering in the driveway of #4, standing behind the car, as Auntie Rose turned the Key in the lock.

Several things happened at once. 

For about a millesecond, not a sound could be heard on privet drive. It was as though sound had never existed. Not until the world came crashing down. A deafening roar drowned the world around her as Maggie was knocked to the flat of her back. A burning heat washed over her and she could feel every nerve in her body on fire. She screamed until she was hoarse, but she still couldn't be heard above the din that threatened to overcome her sanity. Then, without a seconds notice, it stopped. 

Privet Drive was once again its quiet, mundane self.

All except for number three, which was a charred and blackend shell of its former self. The lot has been reduced to ashes and debris was scattered across the street. 

Maggie struggled across the lawn, which was littered with all that she had known for the last two weeks. A ringing was trapped in her head and she had trouble comprehending what she was seeing. A broken photo frame with the glass shattered lay at her feet. She gingerly pulled the photo from under the frame and brushed it off. The faces of Uncle Randy and Aunt Rose Beamed up at her from under the grime. 

Oh my God! 

Running now, heedless of the crushed class and wood underfoot, Maggie crossed the lawn to the two still figures slumped on the sidewalk next to one another. She feel to her knees between the two and felt familiar sharp pricks at the corner of her eyes.

No.

Not now. It was not the time for tears yet.

Thinking back to her first aid training, Maggie straightened their bodies and held their throats level, looking for any sign of life. Auntie Rose had a steady trickle of blood flowing down her cheek and a bruise forming at her temple. Maggie reached for her neck and wrist. .......there it was! A pulse! Oh God, she was still alive!

She scampered over to Uncle Randy, whose leg was twisted at a sickly angle beneath his body, and did the same...Yes! A flood of relief washed over her with such intensity that she nearly collapsed. That's when the thought struck her.

Who did this?

Burning fury welled up in her chest as she stood and looked for signs of the cause. This was no accident. She didn't need to be told, she simply knew. 

People were emerging from their homes now, looking scared to death and very shaken. 

"Call an ambulance!" Maggie screamed to the nearest woman. "These people need help!" The woman ran inside to do so.

Just as Maggie turned, a flash of light caught her eye. It was the familiar flash of light glinting off glasses. The glasses of a raven haired boy.

The anger swelled up inside of her again. Harry Potter was dragging a massive trunk along the street in the opposite direction. In the dim light, she could see that he was holding a stick.

That Goddamned stick!

All of the anger building up inside her burst as soon as she saw the stick. Abandoning all pretense, she threw herself after him and into the night.

Whatever had happened to her Aunt and Uncle tonight, Harry Potter had some idea. If he was responsible for this in any way, Maggie would make him regret he was ever born.

Whoever did this was going to pay!

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**TBC**

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A/N: Maggie's aunt and uncle will be fine, but the ministry will have their hands full with a lot of memory charms tonight. Maggie and Harry have some interesting things in store for them in the future. Oh, and Brigade701, I hope you like this....cuz you're my hero of the moment!

**Review!!**


	6. disappearances

OK. I'm gonna write this chapter now

I like reviews. Please review.

I don't own Harry Potter. I'm poor. Don't sue me. I'm poor. Please recycle.

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**A World Unknown-- Chapter Six: Disappearances.**

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All of the anger building up inside her burst as soon as she saw the stick. Abandoning all pretense, she threw herself after him and into the night. 

Whatever had happened to her Aunt and Uncle tonight, Harry Potter had some idea. If he was responsible for this in any way, Maggie would make him regret he was ever born. 

Whoever did this was going to pay!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The only sound on the street was two sets of feet pounding against the pavement mingled with labored breathing. 

He had gotten a head start, but nobody can move fast with a giant trunk trailing behind them, she thought. Only a matter of time and then ill blow this weirdo kid out of the water. I feel like James Bond!

Ouch.

Rock.

Ouch.

Ok. Mabye not James Bond.

So maybe nobody can move fast in a dress either. Not to mention that the adrenaline was starting to wear off and every step was making her more aware of a burning sting coming from a shallow slice across her leg. 

Ouch. AAHHHHHHH!

Pavement!!

Face down was not the position one is meant to give chase in. Sadly, that's where she was.

Ouch ouch_ouchouchouchouch._

She rocked back and forth on the street holding her injured leg and not so silently cursing Harry Potter. He was waving something at the street. It had better not be that stick!

Suddenly, two blinding white lights filled the street. they got bigger and bigger until all she could see was white light. Heaven? ...Nooo. Bus?..purple bus?......GAAAAHHH!!

A quick roll back to the sidewalk was all that saved her from death via squishing by this huge bus. The Knight Bus was clearly inscribed on the back in gold lettering. 

As she got to her feet, she smeared blood from her leg across her dress. Ewww. 

Then she spotted Harry, frantically yelling at the driver and heaving his trunk onto the bus. Oh no!!! No way he would get away that easy!! She threw her shoulder square on to his chest and sent him head over heels backwards. It would have been perfect if his trunk hadn't have come crashing down after him and landed right on top of her. All the air was pushed from her lungs with an audible whoosh and spots danced in her vision. And of course, to add insult to injury, the trunk's lid popped open and thick papers came pouring down on her.

While she fought to free herself from under the chest, Harry had struggled to his feet and bounded past her onto the bus. Once inside, he pulled the trunk in with him and slammed the door. She jumped up and pounded on the glass doors but nothing would give. Inside, Harry said something to the young guy driving the Bus and they started to move. 

Maggie ran alongside the bus and screamed at it in frustration. She tore at the windows and beat on the sides, but it only picked up speed and rolled away. She chased it for a few seconds but then suddenly, it shot forwards and was gone.

Gone?

For a moment, all she could do was gape at the spot where a full sized bus just was. No! Where a full sized bus should be!! How did he do that?! A heavy weight settled in her stomach as she realized that she had just lost him. He could go anywhere and she wouldn't have any idea how to find him. She'd lost.

She trudged slowly back to the papers that still lay scattered across the sidewalk and sifted through them, but none of them provided any clue to where he could have gone. They were all just blank, except for a few that listed some definitely not real things.

Boomslang skin? Pheonix tear? Ooookkkkkk.........

Mabye that was his problem. Too many sci fi shows. Too much dungeons and dragons.....

Or Mabye there was something she just wasn't picking up on. Wait! Success! A boarding ticket! Ooohhh, somebody is gonna miss their train! Muwahahaha. Score one to Maggie!!

Hold on just a second. 11 O' clock. Ok. London central. Right. Platform 9 3/4 ......

You have got to be Joking. 

This isn't fair!! No one has to put up with this much weird shit in one night!! Its just not fair.....

It all settled deep on her shoulders like Dudley Dursley was sitting on them. It was too much! 

Auntie Rose and Uncle randy. Harry Potter. Her leg. The Knight Bus. Platform 9 3/4.

And her stupid dress. 

Maggie sank down to the curb, buried her head in her hands, and cried.

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**A/N:** I may be evil...just a bit. Sorry i kept you waiting for so long. But i get no reviws~ oh wait!! joy!! More review-ness!!! Thanks all you guys who reviewed!!

Soupofthedaysara: I read your fan fiction and it is one of my favorites!! I love the way u incorporated Jude into the Harry Potter timeline. Go see her story: The Book Of Jude. 

Bastet Kitten: No problem, i love to review. I like your work! Keep it up!

Anonymous: Hehehe. Sorry, but unless someone convinces me, Maggie/Harry is off limits. 

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Ill post again after.....3 more reviews. Hehe and yes, Maggie will be going to Hogwarts.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Always Lub: Mags-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	7. The Hogwarts Express

Thank you to the ppl who reviewed. 

I don't own anything. 'Cept my box. I sleep in it.

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**A World Unknown-- Chapter 7: The Hogwarts Express**

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The Kings Cross station in London Central was a sight to behold. It was a huge hanger with a polished glass ceiling. Every crevice of it was buzzing with activity and a sense of haste. Train whistles sounded throughout the corridors and steam filled the air.

The trip to London had been...interesting. She had gotten stuck on a seedy old bus that rumbled down the street at a walking pace and a 40-something year old man who smelled supspiscously of sickly-sweet marijuana, had slumped down next to her and fallen asleep at her shoulder.

Twice, Maggie had gotten on the wrong tram and had to ask for direction. Five times she had found herself moving in circles on the streets. Then, when she had finally found the station, she was faced with yet another frustration.

There was a platform 9 and a platform 10 but no platform 9 3/4 in sight.

Ok.

Once more. The ticket was printed on thick purple paper with gold leaf along the edge. No mistaking was the Large PLATFORM 9 3/4 printed near the top.

Any station attendants she dared to point this out to sneered down at her and sauntered off without reply. 

A huge brick pillar separated the platforms 9 and 10 and arched up to the ceiling. Maggie leaned back on it and took into account her situation.

It was 4:23 in the morning.

She was in a train station.

In London.

With little money.

No food.

And a ticket That led to an imaginary place from an imaginary platform.

And not to mention that she looked like she had crawled out from under a rock. At her first opportunity, she had rushed into the ladies room to survey the damage. Her dress was torn, frayed and dirty. Blood was smeared across her leg and hands and had dried on the dress, barring the flowery pattern with its rusty color. Maggie almost thought this an improvement. 

Almost..... 

Her hair was in disarray and little wisps clung to her face. Thankfully, she had managed to hold on to her little leather waist pouch, which she had worn under the dress. It had a tiny bit of money, her first aid kit and a few pictures of her friends and family. 

Things were beginning to look bleak.

.......................................

A few hours had passed since she had arrived at Kings Cross, and still, she had found no clue to the platforms whereabouts. She had kept moving so as not to attract any unwanted attention from the police, but she was running out of excuses to stay in the place where platform 9 and three frickin- quarters should be. Worst of all, she was running out of time! The 'Hogwarts Express' was scheduled to leave the station in 40 minutes!! 

The confusing thing was, several strange looking people had disappeared into mid air when the got close to her. 

Just like that bus......

Here comes another odd one, this time it was a boy about her age. He had flaming red hair and he was a few inches taller than most people in the crowd. That wasn't what made him odd though. Behind him was a huge trunk, not unlike the one that Harry had with him. Naturally, this made Maggie wary.

Mabye she was over-reacting. Possibly, this was normal behavior for people in London.

She was starting to doubt herself, when from around the corner, another figure followed the first boy. He was Maggie's height, he had glasses....black hair....

Oh Shit!!!

Maggie dropped down to her knees and hugged the ticket to her. She could just barely see Harry and the red-head from under the bench she was crouched behind. They walked up to the red brick pillar and leaned against it, chatting casually. She managed to pick up some of the conversation...

".....will be along soon," the tall one said. "Dad and mum are helping her with her trunk." 

" Right." Harry nodded and lowered his voice before continuing. "What about that Maggie girl thought. She has my ticket. Will i even be allowed on?!"

"Don't be daft harry!" The other replied "You're the boy who lived! Of course you'll get on!"

The conversation was cut short when a pretty girl came around the corner. She had the same red hair as the boy but nowhere near the height. She was soon followed by a small man, and larger woman, also with the bright fiery hair. Between them, they carried a trunk and a cage, with a tiny noisy owl. It flitted its wings and chirped as loudly as it could.

"Shuttup Pig!" The boy said and threw his sweater over the cage to muffle the noise.

They all muttered a few words and leaned against the other side of the platform. A crowd passed between them and when the people thinned out, all of them were gone!

"NO!!"Maggie shouted and jumped to her feet.

The people around her jumped back, trying to get away from the crazy girl, and one of the platform officials fought through the crowd to grab her shoulder. 

"You've been here all morning young lady!" The man said. "I think you had better come with me. We'll find your parents. What's your name then?" 

Maggie frantically looked back and forth between the platform barrier and the Officer. That was twice now that he had gotten away! But how?

The officer gripped her wrist and pulled her through the crowd, away from the barrier and towards the office. 

It would all be over. She would never know what happened to her aunt and uncle. She would never know what was so strange about Harry Potter. She would go back to Canada, and live a normal High-school life. 

Nuh-Uh!

She struggled against the Man's grip, but he only tightened his hold and kept moving, so Maggie did the only thing she could think to do........... 

She bit down on his wrist. Hard.

A sharp crunch and the metallic taste of blood in her mouth told her that she had succeeded. 

With a shout, the officer pulled his hand away from hers and cradled it to his chest, but Maggie didn't give him time to act. 

She tore through the crowd, heedless of the people that she knocked to the floor. The barrier was just ahead! All she needed to do now was......

...what? Disappear? !

Oh-man oh-man _oh-man oh-man_

She tried to grind herself to a stop before colliding with the hard brick of the barrier, but she was moving to fast, A foot came out of nowhere and sent her flying towards the wall. so instead, she threw up her arms to shield herself from the impact. 

But it never came.

Well...not in the way she had expected.

When she opened her eyes again, she was tumbling across a platform, but neither platform 9 or 10.

She crashed into the legs of a boy with wicked-cool dreads and sent him falling backwards over her. Maggie lay there, not daring to open her eyes, so instead she pulled her arms around her and didn't move. 

Not until the boy sat up, his legs still draped over.

"Wow!" He started." Are you ok? You must have tripped over something before you got to the barrier, right?" He stood and dusted himself off before holding a hand out to Maggie. She took it, if cautiously.

"I don't think I've seen you around her before... Are you a Ravenclaw? My name's Lee Jordan, by the way."

Not knowing what to do she just mumbled " ummm, yeah.. Ravenclaw." And because she didn't need anymore trouble than she all ready had, she told him her name was Kaliey Heinen. 

"My friends are over there, so i have to go now." He said. " Hope to see you at Hogwarts Kaliey!"

Maggie's heart jumped in her chest! Hogwarts! She was on the right track! And sure enough, hanging above the platform was a purple and gold sign engraved with :

PLATFORM 9 3/4 : Hogwarts Express-- 7:15.

She waved to Lee as he walked off and smiled to herself. This wasn't so hard. Now all she needed to do was find out who these people were and where they were going. She spotted a girl, about her age with bushy brown hair spilling down her shoulders. She was sitting all alone on a bench, reading a book that was big enough to sink the British fleet. Maggie sat down next to her and started.

"Good book?" 

The Girl jumped in her seat and slammed the book shut. Oops. I guess i startled her. Thought Maggie. Way to go.....

"Sorry!" Said the girl. "I didn't see you there!"

"Oh!" Maggie said "No, i should have given you some warning there." 

They both started to laugh. 

"My social skills need some help!" The girl managed to get out between giggles." My name is Hermione, what's yours?"

"Kaliey," Maggie said, using her alias. "I was just wondering.... (Oh man, she thought...i should have worked this through!) Ummm, ...what.... I mean... I'm an ..Exchange student!!!" She shouted the last part as it came to her. "From Canada!!"

Hermione gaped at her with her mouth hanging open. "I didn't know there were any wizarding schools in Canada!!"

Maggie almost fell off the bench. A WHAT school?! Are these people all insane?! Of course she didn't say this out loud. What she said was:

"Only the one....its..a shaman school! For old native wizarding healing techniques!" She stammered out. 

Hermione Looked doubtful...

" What I was wondering," Maggie continued." Was if you could tell e anything about Hogwarts?"

Hermione Beamed. "As a matter of fact, I know all about Hogwarts." She said. " It's four houses are named after the founders.....................

Hermione went on for 15 Minutes and Maggie listened intently to every word. She learned about the houses, The founders, the sorting hat, the Headmaster Dumbledore, the moving staircases, the history, and countless other things. 

".... And all the paintings are very friendly!" She said. 

What the hell? Riiigghhhhtttt. Maggie thought.

Hermione surely would have continued for hours if the boarding whistle didn't interrupt her. She jumped up and her book spilled out of her lap. "Oh dear.." She said "we had better get on the train now." 

Maggie helped Hermione load her trunk into an empty compartment near the back of the train and sat down across from her. 

"Oh!" She said. "I almost forgot!! Wait till you meet Harry and Ron!"

Maggie's head snapped to attention. "Who? and Ron!?!?!"

"Harry Potter, of course! You must know all about him! Defeating you-know-who and all." She added. "They're my best friends and we usually sit in this compartment together. In fact, i think i hear them out there now!"

Maggie had nooo idea who you-know-who was but she wasn't about to let Harry Potter know that she was following him! She stammered something about needing to check on a friend and pulled the compartment door open. Hermione followed her into the corridor.

The train had already begun to move, so there was no getting off that way. As she turned towards the nearest door, to leave, Hermione gave a girlish squeal and said "Oh! Here they come!"

Sure enough, the Red haired boy from the platform was pulling open the opposite door. He hadn't spotted her yet because he was talking to somebody behind him, who Maggie had no doubt was Harry Potter. 

Before Hermione had a chance to speak, Maggie was sprinting towards the door. Just as she hurled herself through it, she caught Hermione saying:

"Ron! Harry! I want you too meet Kaliey! She's from Canada, isn't that exciting?!"

Maggie doubted that either Ron or Harry found that exciting at all but she didn't care, she was too happy that she had escaped notice yet again. She checked in every compartment until she found an empty one.

Maggie stared out the window at the English countryside, blurred by speed and her weary eyelids. Her last thought before she drifted off to sleep was of The Grand Castle called Hogwarts that this train would bring her to see.

**TBC**.

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**A/N:** I don't think Maggie is going to see Harry again for a couple of chapters but that is OK. She will have more to think about! Thanks to all my reviewers!!:

**Lalala:** that's a key part of the plot, but I can't explain it till later chapters. Sowwy!

**Soupofthedaysara:** Thanx for reviewing. Like i said you ppl: go read the Book Of Jude NOW!!! Grrrrrrrrrr! *Shakes fist at you*

**Tajuki: **Yes. Yes. The dress is evil. Doesn't it make you want to just burn one right now?!

**Shdurrani: ** wow, i can't pronounce your name. But thanx a lot!!

**Anonymous: **Mary-Sue needs some "help".........

Oh my! The reviews!! I like it so, yes. Please keep it up. It motivates me to write more often.

**REVIEW!!**


	8. Hogsmeade

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**A World Unknown--Chapter Eight: The Three Broomsticks**

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In her dream, Maggie was in the middle of a dance floor, she was wearing a beautiful gold dress that swished around her ankles as she turned. faceless people on all sides glared at her as though her mere presence was a personal insult to each of them. Not a single one of them approached her.

Opposite of her in the center of the floor, was a figure clothed in a back robe. She felt drawn to him, but was wary at the same time. He stood motionless like the others, so she didn't approach him. As she turned away from him to face the massive oak doors, his hand emerged from the deep folds of his robe and a single finger straightened to point at her chest. 

She tried to search its face for meaning but a hood ensnared its head in shadows. As she opened her mouth to speak, a dry rasping voice hissed forwards from the throat of the figure. Maggie could just barely make out the two single words that grated across her ears like sandpaper.

Avada Kedavra.

The world flashed green behind her eyes.

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When she awoke, the Hogwarts express had arrived at whatever destination it had set out on and no one else could be heard nearby. 

She poked her head out of the compartment and glanced around. Not a single person in sight.  


Everyone is already gone? Well, at least that makes it safe to leave the compartment. Maggie reasoned. She stood and pulled at the hem of her dress. It had just occurred to her that if all of the people here had dressed in the strange robes that she had spotted earlier, then a flowery sundress would not fit in well. 

She strolled through the halls of the train, checking every compartment for anything useful and after several minutes, found nothing more than a toad. She wasn't even going to ask what a toad was doing asleep on a train seat, but it wasn't helping her cause any. It wasn't until she had neared the front end of the train that she encountered a chubby, frantic boy her age tearing through a trunk that was set in the midst of a compartment. Books and papers lay askew on the seats and floor, and a black robe was draped across one of the seats.

A black robe?

"Trevor? Trevor?!" The boy called out over and over as he tore through the pile of supplies. He didn't even look up until Maggie coughed loudly.

He looked startled to see her but regained what little composure he had ever possessed and stared up at her. 

"Have you seen my toad, Trevor?" The boy pleaded.

Maggie recalled the fat ugly thing crouched on one of the seats a few minutes back and knew it had to be what the boy was looking for. 

"Yeah, he was on one of the seats a few compartments over," She said. "He'll probably still be there."

The boy jumped up and muttered a hurried thanks before pushing past her and down the hall in the direction she had indicated. Maggie didn't mind his haste though, after all, she wasn't there to make friends with him. 

She plucked the cloak from off the seat and pulled it over her head. It hung loosely on her but was surprisingly comfortable for a heavy looking thing. She let her hair out of its clip and it tumbled in loose waves around her shoulders. It was a little frizzy and she was staring to smell funny but not enough for anyone to notice her lack of hygene. 

She stepped of the train and into the foggy evening air. Off to the left, a few carriages were rumbling off into the mist, it was curious, but Maggie couldn't spot the horses that were pulling them. On her right was a quaint little village. Most of the buildings were small shops rather than houses, but they looked inviting enough. She started off down the gravel road and looked in the shops of some of the windows. Most of them were al bit odd and some of them more than just a bit. Those she avoided altogether. 

Boarzildas International Brew Supplies, Handills shoppe for Handsome Hags, The Owl Post, and the list goes on......

She finally stopped in front of a cheery, warm looking building. A wooden sign out front proclaimed it to be ' The Three Broomsticks'. Laughter and music could be heard issuing from within and through the window, Maggie caught glimpses of a card game and a couple dancing to the lively tune of a fiddle being played by a reedy man in the corner.

She gingerly pushed open the thick oak door and was greeted by a wave of warmth that made her shudder with the suddenness of it. People across the room chattered and laughed about this and that. The only thing to set this pub apart from any other in London was the people themselves. They wore robes of bright, gaudy colors and crooked hats that stood straight in the air. Many of them had Long sticks protruding from their robes, not unlike Harry's.

A curvy woman with dark hair and skin smiled at her from behind the counter. Maggie wove her way in between the tables of cheery conversation to the bar. 

"Hello darlin'" The woman Beamed. "Are you from Hogwarts? Because if so, you're a bit off track." She chuckled.

"Oh no. I'm not from there." Maggie assured her. " I only look young. I get that a lot" 

"Well then, I'm Madame Rosemerta, but folks around here call me Rosie. what can i do for you Hon' ?"

"Well...Rosie. I just need a place to sleep for the night. I don't have any money but i can work for a nights lodging."

Madame Rosemerta Smiled wide enough to split her face. "We can always use a little help around this place hon', I'm sure we can find you a place to sleep and get a good meal in ya."

Releif washed over Maggie. She had been sure for a moment, that she would be turned away with no place to go. But of course, Madame Rosemerta couldn't ever have done such a thing.

After setting her down in a corner of the Kitchen, Rosie dropped a huge meaty, steaming bowl of stew and a thick slice of crusty bread in her lap. Maggie devoured every drop with relish and when she was finished, sighed appreciatively. 

Working Through the evening was hardly work at all. While she was waiting the tables, al the customers were happy to make conversation and Maggie learned a lot about Hogwarts through the small talk. She shocked a few bar-goers when she dropped her tray of mugs at the mention of Harry. Apparently He was well known around here for something he did to a man who nobody seemed too comfortable talking about. She didn't want to seem too interested in him by bringing it up, but whenever he was mentioned, she made sure to listen. 

Before the night was over, she had learned that it was common practice with the wizards to carry a wand with them, for practical purposes. She had a hard time concealing her amazement whenever anyone used magic to pull out a chair of hang up a cloak. 

She still found herself trying to act natural around them, especially with their strange clothes and speech. The word 'muggle' popped up a lot through the evening and she soon discovered that it was a word used to describe people like herself. People who didn't know about the 'magic' aspect of the world. So at least she wasn't the only one who was clueless about all of this.

Once all of the customers filed out of the pub, Madame Rosemerta turned to Maggie and cocked her head to the side. She gave a small sniff before pronouncing that if she didn't wash soon, no one would come near the pub, fearing the smell. 

She ushered Maggie up into a vacant room on the second floor and tossed in a wash basin and a thick cake of yellow soap. 

When she emerged, she was clean, dry, and considerably less smelly than before. Rosie helped her set up a bed of blankets in the corner of the kitchen and lit a candle on a small table in the center of the room. She shuffled through a cupboard until she emerged holding two mugs and a glass bottle filled with a foamy, golden liquid. 

She poured the liquid into the mugs and handed one across to Maggie. After a quick cheers and a clink of the mugs, they each took a deep draught of the thick liquid that Rosie called 'butterbeer'

It was sweet and smooth and as it poured down her throat, it warmed her from the inside. Maggie felt as if all the hardships of the day had slipped from her shoulders and loosened her muscles. It was the most wonderful thing she had ever tasted!

The two of them sat at the table late into the night, drinking, laughing and gossiping about the evenings events. And when it was finally time bid goodnight, Maggie was sure that she had found a friend in Madame Rosemerta.

Trying to sort out all that she had learned to accept as part of her world in the last 24 hours was overwhelming, so she chose not to analyze it too much. She had a tendency to over-think things after all. 

It wasn't until she was beneath the blanket in her corner of the kitchen that she thought of Harry Potter again. But it was too late to ponder on him, because she had already begun to fall into a deep slumber. 

And again she was left to dream.

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**TBC**

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Its coming along! 

Keep up the reviews please. Its very gratifying to know that someone is actually reading this.

Thanks to all My reviewers!!

Ariana: Yeah, i know i cant spell, but oh well. Suck it up!

WeaslyTwinsLover112: hey! Yet another 14 year old canadian!! EH!!!??? J/k. Thanks a lot dude. Ill try to update more often. 

Soupofthedaysarah: Ya! That'ssorta the direction I'm going here except I'm not going to make it totally unrealistic, just a little sneaky. lol! 

**REVIEW!!**


	9. The Three Broomsticks

Lalalala....i own nothing!!!

This chapter is dedicated to **soupofthedaysara**

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**A World Unknown------- Chapter 9: Keeper of The Keys------------------------------------**

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This time, she was in a dark forest in the dead of night. She squinted into the darkness but no one could be seen through the thick trees, a twig snapped off to her left, and when she parted through the canopy of branches, she was stilled by a chilling sight. 

In a dark clearing, a black robed man towered over a smaller groveling one. Surrounding them were dark cloaked figures, their faces shrouded in shadow. The tall one in the center reached forward and touched a single finger to the smaller one's forehead. The dark cloak slipped away, revealing a pasty white forearm with blue veins straining against the surface. A few murmurs were issued from the surrounding onlookers as a black haze enveloped both of the center figures. 

A bloodcurdling cry was torn from the throat of the small one as he writhed in agony at the touch of his master. Animalistic moans and cries issued from each of the surrounding figures. Many fell to their knees and clutched their left arms in pain. Without warning, the black haze whipped away and revealed the small one, with the hem of his masters robe clutched in his hands like an anchor to life. 

After a few moments of silent sobbing on his part, the man rose to his feet and pulled back the sleeve of his right arm. The skin was pink, raw and shiny around a black tattoo embedded deep in his skin. When Maggie looked closer, she thought she could almost make out a skull and a snake, but she had leaned in to far and stumbled, casing the branches to rustle. 

The heads of all the figures snapped around and rested on her hiding spot. They advanced slowly towards her, and in a blind panic, she ran. The branches and foliage whipped her face and bare legs, causing her to flinch at every step. When she finally thought that she had lost them, she slowed her pace and glanced behind her.

A root jutting out at a sharp angle from the ground hooked around her ankle and sent her crashing face-first into the forest floor. She rolled over and propped herself up on her elbows, and when she opened her eyes, the cold, pale, veined hand was holding a wand leveled straight at her heart.

Maggie let out a dry sob before the words, grating and harsh on her ears proclaimed once more: 

Avada Kedavra.

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Saturday morning came all to soon for Maggie's tastes but nevertheless, she pulled herself out of the pile of blankets and donned the black cloak she "borrowed" from the boy on the train.

The early morning was slow and most of Maggie's work consisted of scrubbing down various objects: dishes, floors, tables......... It was not as eventful as last night, but Rosie Warned of the lunch hour rush they got from surrounding patrons and, to Maggie's interest, Hogwarts professors.

When lunch finally did roll around, So much was required to tend to that Maggie didn't even have time to try and pick up any more information on how to get to the school, and therefore, Harry Potter. Rather, she concentrated on serving the interesting folks who swarmed the little pub to their satisfaction.

Around 12:30, when the crowd had begun to settle, a towering, heavyset man who was almost as wide as he was tall entered the pub. He had a wiry black beard and untamed hair to match. His shoulders filled the doorframe and when he spotted Rosie, his face broke into a wide grin. Rosie greeted him like an old friend, so before even meeting him, Maggie was inclined to trust him. For the first time since she had arrived, Maggie witnessed Rosie sit and drink with a customer. Her and the massive man conversed for well over an hour about trivial things, like the weather and the businesses in town. It wasn't until Maggie heard the man mention Hogwarts that she tuned in fully on the conversation.

".......my hands full with all the new firs-years runnin 'round the grounds like a lot 'o wild hinkeypucks. They're more trouble than all them Weasley boys put together!!" He guffawed. " And with You-Know-Who on the loose, I've got-ta be all the more careful That I don't lose a one of them near the forest. Especially not young 'Arry or his friends!!"

Maggie craned her neck nearer to the table under the guise of having dropped something on the floor. 

"Aye, I know as well as you do the dangers 'o that Reubus!" Rosie nodded. "I only Hope that Headmaster Dumbledore can keep them away from the school. If anything happened to those children........." She cut of with a protective look in her eyes.

"I know Rosie, I know." Hagrid patted her on the shoulder with one of his massive hands. "But we both know, that Dumbledore would never let anyone touch 'is students, not while he can do anything 'bout it."

They both took deep sips of their Odgens Old fire-whisky before Rosie went on.

"I have a new young girl on staff, she showed up here the other night and i ouldnt turn her down." Rosie started. "Shes was a big help with the Friday crowd last night."

Maggie pretended not to have hear a word said and moved on to the next table, picking up Mugs and wiping off stains as she went. After a few minutes, Rosie beckoned her over so she slid up sheepishly behind her. 

" Maggie, I would like to introduce you to Reubus Hagrid." Rosie beamed. "He is the keeper of the keys and grounds at Hogwarts."

Maggie smiled and offered her compareitavley tiny hand to his waiting massive one. He shook hands so hard that Maggie swore she could feel her teeth loosen in her jaw. She smiled when Mr. Hagrid remarked what a pretty young lady she was. It was a lie, not to mention a tad degrading being referred to like a 6 year old, but it was nice to hear anyways. 

Hagrid described the official opening of the school year feast at the castle last night. He was a big help when he answered all of her questions about the classes and magic courses. It seemed that he possessed a certain flair for raising dangerous animals that she had never heard of but found fascinating nonetheless. When it was time to leave, Maggie was sure to say that she was sorry to see him go but he promised to be back the next Monday anyways.

That night was no less slow and customers were demanding, but Maggie found that she enjoyed the bustling tavern and its atmosphere. 

In the midst of her serving, several old men pulled her to the floor and tried to teach her a quickstep dance to the rowdy fiddle music provided by the same reedy man as the previous night. She had nearly mastered it by the end of the evening and found that the time with this friendly crowd passes all too quickly. She was exhausted by the time Rosie called out that It was closing time for the day.

Again tonight, The two shared a bottle of butterbeer over a chat about the customers. Rosie was delighted with how well Maggie had managed today and warned that if she wasn't careful, it would be a full time job that she had on her hands. 

Maggie laughed, but the words reminded her that by staying here she was wasting her time and the sooner she got to Harry Potter, the better off she would be. She hoped with all her heart that her Aunt and Uncle were alive and well and was anxious to get back to them before they thought she was the one who had passed in the 'incident' as she had come to think of it. 

That night, after she had bid goodnight to Rosie, she came to the descision that before the week had passed, she would be at Hogwarts. Of course, she would miss Rosie, but it was a secondary matter compared to the dilemmas' she was facing. Monday, she would get Mr. Hagrid to take her to the school. With any luck, the Headmaster that he and Rosie had spoken so highly of would understand her predicament and offer her a means of solving this problem without to much trouble.

With luck.

That was all she had going for her, and considering the 'luck' she had encountered latley, things were not looking their brightest.

With luck. Yeah, Right.

And with that, she slept once again.

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**TBC**

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This chapter, Like i said, is for **soupofthedaysara**, who has been such an awesome reviewer and who is truly, one of the best Harry Potter Fanfiction writers on ff.net.

Thanks for all your support!

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**Please Review**

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	10. Allouitious

Thanks to all reviewers. You're the ones who make this site what it is.

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**A World Unknown---- Chapter Ten: Allouitious.**

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The dreams came again that night, this time more vividly than the others. 

She was on a tiny rotting boat floating across a silent black pond. lights twinkled off in the distance through a heavy fog. A single lantern flickered feebly against the chill air on the floor of her vessel. The flame of the lantern strained against the darkness but offered little comfort to her. She was cloaked in a heavy black robe that pulled her towards the floor with its weight. At the sound of a splash in the distance, she fell to the deck and pulled her knees to her chest. 

She focused on the glassy surface and wished, more than anything, that she could be anywhere except here, But when she looked around again, nothing had changed. Nothing. Then, silently a single ripple spread outwards from the fog. Its smooth silver path carved towards her tiny boat and broke as it struck the hull. Maggie leaned out of the boat and brushed her fingers against the water, only not a single ripple burs forth as she broke the surface. Her fingers, pale in comparison with the inky water, simply slipped beneath the smooth surface. Curious now, she rolled her sleeve up past her elbow and slipped her whole forearm in, swirling it around in circles. When she pulled her hand back to her chest, it was cold and numb but not wet. A dull burn issued from the soft skin near her elbow though, and when she pulled her sleeve back again, what she saw made her blood run cold. 

A skull, black as night stood out on her light skin. From its mouth issued a serpent, it looked senile and harsh. 

Memories of her last dream came flooding over her. She stood, clutching the mark and swerved. He was there! The man from her other dreams! She could feel it! Her heart pounded in her chest and she had trouble breathing, if she didn't calm down, she was going to pass out. A cold hand snaked around her shoulder from behind and another grasped her arm and pried her fingers off the mark. A low hiss issued from whoever it was and suddenly, she was pitching forwards into the black water. Her arms flailed about and she struggled as the sodden cloak dragged her towards the bottom. She gasped for air as her head broke the surface, it was uncannily creepy how even now, not a single ripple disturbed the face of the water.

He stood above her and again, had his wand pointed between her eyes. A shiver ran through her because she was sure of what was coming. And it did. 

The harsh voice grated through her head with the words she had come to dread since this all began. 

Avada Kedavra.

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Sunday passed quickly, with the same routines as the day before and for the first time in days, Maggie felt......normal.

She fit in here with the patrons and Rosie. She wasn't lying when she told herself that she would miss them. It was only a matte of time though before they found out about her and who she really was and if she was going to find out about Harry Potter, she couldn't risk that.

Harry seemed to be the golden boy of the wizarding world. Everyone talked about him and how he did something when he was a baby. Apparently his parents were killed by terrorists or something. She was really sorry to hear that but she couldn't let pity interfere with what she was here for. He was also pro' at something called a Quidditch match.

She didn't know how many times she had heard someone say "Harry won the Quidditch Captain slot on Gryffindor!" or "Did you watch the last Hogwarts Quidditch scrimmage? It was Harry Potter vs. Draco Malfoy!" And it was only less than a week into term! He was definitely some sort of golden boy. That would make it far harder to get to him.

Damn wizards and their ....wizard stuff. 

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On Sunday night, she had actually slept without nightmares. Either that or she didn't remember them. NOT that she minded. She had already seen enough Nightmares to last her a lifetime. 

On Monday morning, Business was slow. Not surprising since it was the first day of classes up at the school. Rosie gave Maggie the morning off to explore the town, as well as a tiny purse full of silver and bronze coins. Maggie refused them but Rosie said that she had earned them. 

In Honeydukes, Maggie bought some chocolate frogs That actually jumped with magic, and some sort of beans that were supposed to have every flavor on earth. No lie, Maggie herself discovered when she nibbled on a purple one that turned out to be eggplant. Along with each of her frogs came a card, she got Morgan Le Fay and Albus Dumbedore. The cards Fascinated her because if she waited long enough, the people moved! Morgan Le Fay was chewing on her fingernails and Dumbledore was gone altogether. Hehehe. 'Wizards are pro-choice!' She thought. 

She visited Zonkos, The Owl post office, and even Quality Quidditch Supplies to learn more about the sport. It actually sounded awesome! If she ever got the chance, she would be sure to take a ride on a broomstick.

She finally entered a small inconspicuous little bookshop. The air was musty and the store was in unkempt disarray. It was filled with shiny new volumes, dusty hardcover and even a few 'muggle' books. Maggie wandered though the towering aisles until she finally found a shelf that looked particularly interesting. (Namely because each of the books was bound in leather and chained to the shelf several times over.) She peered though the thick layer of dust that had settled over the abandoned shelf and traced a tiny star in the words of the largest selection. Through the dust, it read: 

Plague Curses

Maggie reached forwards to brush her fingers along its spine but just as she reached it, a voice cut through her reverie.

"Might not want to touch that one young lady. Its full of dangerous dark magic that no one should control." Said the voice of an elderly man. "And when i say no one, I mean YOU in particular."   
Taking this obvious hint to leave the books alone, she dropped her hands from where they lingered. When she looked up to find the owner of the reprimanding voice, she found herself alone in the aisle. She crept cautiously down the aisles of books and glanced down the hall. It was silent and deserted except for one thing. A single cat lay contently curled atop one of the towering piles of literature. 

A cat with shaggy grey hair and amber eyes, just like the one from Privet drive. 

"Allouitious?" She ventured. her eyebrows arched expectantly. "Here kitty."

The cat just flicked its tail and shot her a haughty, even look. But he did bear a remarkable resemblance to the cat she had been with the first time she met Harry. How often do you get a cat with that combination of fur and eyes? 

Considering how she came across a hidden world in the midst of London, a thing like this shouldn't have put her off. But still........

She approached the cat with her hands open and reached for its head to give it a little scratch. It had to be Allouitious! It even had the same pale marks on the back of its ears!

Instead of purring and curling up in her arms as any other cat would have done, it leapt to the floor and turned to face her. Rather than the even stare she got from him last time though, he gazed up at her with something like amusement in his amber eyes. Again, she leaned down to scoop him up and again, he leapt from her grasp.

By now her suspicion had grown to overcome her curiosity and disregarding the comfort of the cat, she made a wild grab for its collar and felt her fingers brush against his silvery grey fur. 

In a streak of silver-grey, it dashed off around her grasp and between her legs only to immediately settle once more on its perch atop the books. 

What the hell is up with this cat?!

As she began her final attempt to lay her hands on the curious feline, she was not in the least prepared for what came next. 

The tiny, shaggy form of the cat began to change. 

It began with its ears, the shortened, the hair withdrew into them and they slipped to the sides of the ....whatever it was'.....head. The fur on the top of the head grew longer, paler and more wiry while the hair everywhere else receded into wrinkled grey skin. The thing was getting bigger every moment passing and the proportions were morphing into something entirely different.

A wave of numb disbelief had washed over Maggie and were it not for the deep amber eyes that the man still possessed, she would have been completely assured that the ordeal had finally become too much to bear and she had slipped into her own little world of madness. 

The same voice as before which turned out to belong to this man was speaking to her. She had completely blocked out every word he had just said but The mention of her name had torn her back to reality.

The man who stood before her had to be in his late 70's. With his grizzled white hair and deep lines across his face, he still managed to give of the impression that he was a curious, amused little boy and you were a fascinating new discovery.

His face split into a wide lopsided grin and he chuckled at the startled look on her face.

"Well well." He clucked. " If it isn't muggle Maggie from Privet Drive! I think you and I are in need of a little talk."

He took a handful of a funny glinting dust from a pouch at his waist and hurled it into the fire. The flames flared up and took on a greenish hue and sparks danced across the floor. Then, the man stepped into the fire! At this point Maggie was sure that of all the things he could have done, he made sure to act on the most surprising possibility!! He looked up into the chimney, and with a clear voice, called out: "Diagon Alley!"

Then he was gone.

Maggie's eyebrows climbed up to her hairline and she glanced around to make sure it wasn't just an illusion. Sure enough, the man was gone into seeming midair. She was alone in the store and she didn't have enough time to find Rosie.  
So, she did the only thing that seemed sensible in the situation. She played along. 

With a deep breath, she prodded the flames with one foot. The heat was minimal but it was still there. 

Bending low to avoid hitting her head on the timber bar over the fire-mantle, she planted both feet firmly in the hearth and squeezing her eyes shut, she called out.

"Diagon Alley!"

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**TBC**

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Next chapter up soon! Thanks again to all who reviewed! You guys are boss! 

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**Please Review**

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	11. Answers

In case some of you had forgotten from previous Chapters, allouitious is the cat that Maggie was petting when she first met Harry. He's just one of the average felines on privet dive ....or is he?.......................................

I own nothing, so please don't sue. (Can you even sue a minor for copyright infringement? Hmmmm.....possibilities.)

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A World Unknown-- Chapter 11: Answers.

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The world was spinning by in a rush of color and sound. The roar of the fire was echoing in her ears and she hugged her arms tightly to herself as all around her, images fleetly soared past. In the distance, Maggie thought that she could faintly discern a light coming from another fire-grate and the sounds of ordinary old muggle jazz music cranked out from a modest gramophone.

The colors slowed and blended together to reveal the rushing confines of a brick chimney enveloping her on all sides. She was falling straight into the blackened hearth that led into the foreign room below her. Her hands shot out to either side and scraped along the red sooty walls, leaving trails of exposed brick amongst the blackened grime. Her descent slowed but the rough blocks tore at her palms and scraped them raw and bloody. When Maggie's feet finally hit the bottom, she cradled her hands to her chest and tucked her head forwards before her knees gave way beneath her and she toppled to the beige carpeted floor, scattering a light spray of soot with her.

When she lifted her head a few moments later, the man was standing over her tutting and shaking his head.

"Should have known." He mumbled "never travelled by floo..."

Maggie raised to her hands and knees and held her head for a moment before she glared back up at him and then looked around the small room she found herself in. The furniture and decor were modest, old and more than a bit tack and the house smelled decisively of cat. Up on the walls were pictures of many cats, several of them being Allouitious (although due to recent events, she was reluctant to call him a cat anymore).

There were shelves stacked with records and photo albums lining the walls, as well as the gramophone which was still cranking out smooth jazz-via-sax through its polished brass bell.

The walls were a dull reddish rust and the beige carpet she was kneeling on sported bare patches from overuse. The air of the room seemed very familiar though, as though she had stayed in a similar place often before. 

The man still stood in the middle of the room, now with a hand extended to help Maggie to her feet. She refused belligerently and instead, uneasily rose to her feet, wincing when her raw hands brushed the carpet.

Again, he was smiling at her with that little boy grin of his and he backed to the armchair at the far wall and sunk into it, lacing his hands across his chest.

"If you will allow me to introduce myself..." He said. "My name is Allouitious Figg and It should be established that I intend you no harm"

Maggie snorted.

"I suppose you think i owe you an explanation young lady." He started. "But more to the point,I think it is YOU who needs to explain yourself to me. What were you doing in Hogsmeade? As far as i knew, you are muggle as the day you were born."

"Who do you think you are!" Maggie retorted." First you scare me to death, then drag me to this place and expect me to explain myself to you!?"

"Do you see an alternative?" He cooly shot back.

Maggie sputtered for a moment, searching for a lie to how all this came about but in the end, thought better of it and told him the truth, form the dinner at the Dursley's up to meeting him in the bookshop.

Figg was leaning forward in his chair, intent on her words, but when she finished he sat straight and muttered to himself about lax security or something like that. Maggie, tired of standing in the middle of the floor, wandered over to the mantel and picked up a gilded frame containing a photo of Figg with his arm around a woman. They were both laughing and looked genuinely happy. All around that picture were smaller ones of the same woman holding Allouitious and a few of other cats.

A tap on her shoulder brought her face to face with Mr. Figg again who took a deep breath before he spoke. 

"Your story adds up, little muggle Maggie, but I need to know one thing before we go any further." He said.

"And what's that?" Sighed Maggie.

"Do you intend to cause Harry Potter any harm?"

The question took her by surprise and she had to ponder it before she could answer. On one hand, he must have been directly linked to the 'incident' less than a week back, but on the other, all she wanted was answers from him, not to hurt him. That would only come if he was the one who caused all that happened.

"That depends...." She started. "Could Harry Potter have been the one who caused the explosion at My aunt and uncles house?"

Figg paused for a moment and then furrowed his brow. "Its entirely likely that Harry Potter was directly linked to the happenings at #3 privet drive." Again he paused "Although. You must be told that he would not have willingly placed you or your caretakers in any danger. He could have done nothing to prevent the actions of those who would act against him."

His words struck Maggie deeply and she felt a bit of remorse at how crazed she had been to get at him for blind vengeance but she could meditate on that later because, now, she had many questions that needed to be answered.

"Why are you so concerned about Harry Potter?" She asked.

"Well....." Replied Mr. Figg."As I am sure you are aware, Harry Potter did the Wizarding World a grand favor when he put an end to the Dark magic terrorist called Voldermort."

Maggie was impressed. She knew enough to recognize that speaking his name out loud was frowned upon by the wizards.

"His parents, tragically, were killed in the attack and he was left to be raised by the Muggle family that you associate him with, The Dursley's. Only, recently, Voldermort and his supporters have begun to rise again with a strong thirst for vengeance against Harry Potter for all the trouble he had caused them. Only last year, young Harry was a contestant in a tournament, but he and a school friend of his were kidnapped under the noses of the school faculty. Cedric, Harry's schoolmate, was killed before his eyes and then harry was used in a ritual that would bring Voldermort back to his full power. Again, Voldermort tried to dispose of Harry, and again, He managed to escape, and retrieve the body of his fallen friend. There was a spy doing insider work in the school and several have been discovered in the ministry."

" We suspect that the Voldermorts supporters used a powerful locating spell on Harry but only managed to track him as far as Privet Drive. The fact that they attacked the wrong house has nothing to do with Harry, But in a way, he WAS linked to the incident."

Maggie shifted uncomfortably as the realization hit her how much Harry had been through and that she couldn't blame his odd behavior now. The things he must have seen over the years would fuel a lifetime of nightmares.

"Now, where I come in in all this, Is that My Wife, Arabella Figg, Is an auror designated to protect Harry During his stay at Privet drive for as long as possible. After the attack and his disappearances, she took up a job at the school as a defense against the dark arts teacher. Harry will be very surprised to find the funny old cat lady in his neighborhood is a powerful auror."

"Now, I became a registered animagus to keep even closer tabs on Harry. When you came to the neighborhood, Harry, as well as I, suspected that you could have been a spy of Voldermort's and this is why he was in such a hurry to get away from you that night."

The pieces of the story were all coming together now and Maggie had a clearer realization of where she stood. It very suddenly dawned on her that she was only less than a block from #3 privet drive, or at lest, what remained of it. Her eyes widened and she rushed out of the room to tear open the front door and sprinted off down the block. Mr Figg had seemed to realize her intentions, and so, made no move to stop her.

She arrived on the lot, which had been roped off and marked with police tape. It was still a charred, singed shell of its former self, but it seemed so grounding to see something from the real world again that Maggie didn't mind. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and looked to find aunt petunia, peering through the glass with her beady little eyes. When she made the connection in her head, she dropped the tea platter that she held and crumpled to the floor in a dead faint.

She Turned to find Mr. Figg standing at her shoulder with a faraway look in his eyes. He composed himself and began to usher her back to the house. On the way, he assured her that her aunt and uncle were recovering and expected to be out of the hospital in at least a week. This put her mind at rest and she allowed herself to be lead back to the Figg residence and to the fireplace. 

After a few questions about how she was faring in the Three broomsticks, Mr. Figg warned her that she was going to have to watch her back out in the wizarding world and he bent down to one of the wall shelves to retrieve a long, thin box. Inside was a dark polished maplewood wand that glinted in the light. He held it out to her.

"Dragon heartstring. Eleven and 1/2 inches. Its an excellent wand for defense and, oddly enough, curse work." He tipped the box into her hand and it rolled out onto her open palm. 

"I cant accept this." Maggie objected. "I don't even have any magical abilities."

"Think of how odd it is for a young witch to be wandering the world without a wand. That sort of thing attracts unwanted attention and, that, is the last thing you need."

After more hesitation, Maggie wandered. "Why are you giving this to me?"

"It belonged to my late son." Allouitious somberly replied. "He was killed in a raid by Voldermort and the only wish i have for it is that it may be of some use assisting any cause against the murdering bastard." His fists were shaking and clenched hard against his sides. Maggie couldn't refuse it if it meant that much to him. Especially since he was one of her only 'allies' and he did have a point. 

She tucked the wand into the folds of her robe and nodded firmly. 

"I know that you have more questions that need to be answered but I've done all that i can for your cause, so now its only right to let you return to your mission for justice, as i suppose it should be called, for to do what you think is right can only be that."

He smiled warmly down on her and tossed a handful of the same shimmering powder into the hearth. Again, green flames sprang to life and warmth washed over her. She embraced Allouitious in a hug between comrades and stepped into the flickering light for her journey back to Hogsmeade. 

Now, Her journey for justice.

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**TBC**

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I doubt any of you guessed who Allouitious was because i left it kind of hazy until the end.

Oh well. 

Sorry it took so long to update, I'm just a lazy-ass. There is no other sensible excuse for it.

BTW, I really enjoy good harry potter Fanfiction so if you know of any great stories, point the way and id love to check them out. 

I'm gonna be gone for a bit so i wont update for at least another 2 weeks. Sorry about that. 

THANX SOOOOO MUCH FOR REVIEWING!!! I LOVE PPL WHO REVIEW!!!

~*~Mags~*~ 


	12. Innocence And Justice

No animals were harmed in the making of this fanfiction.

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A World Unknown-- Chapter 12: Justice & Innocence.

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The cold had begun to bite through her cloak by the time she was nearing the three broomsticks. The pub's steadfast warmth and joviality was an anchor that kept her sane during this crazy ordeal. The rowdy music emitting from the building reached her ears as did the warmth and light from glowing lanterns hung in the windows. Amongst the madness she had been constantly encountering since that Sunday, this was the only grounding place she could look to for support.

But now that she understood her position in the wizarding world, that was about to change.

She meekly slipped in through the heavy oak door and sent Rosie an uneasy smile, holding her new trinkets from the day up into the light. Rosie smiled cheerily back but was immediately called to service by a nearby table wanting another round of mead. Maggie regretfully dropped her hand and turned into the kitchen where her tiny pouch of money and supplies lay on the floor atop the thick blanket that had been her bed over the past few days. It hurt to think that this may be the last time she would see Rosie and the pub after all her hospitality and acceptance. She was more than compelled to simply abandon her quest, but the obligatory factors surrounding her situation were not to be ignored. 

Amongst her scant belongings were a few sickles, elastics, some sap a needle and thread, and of course, the wand. Not much to go by, but when she made the conscious decision to undertake this search for justice, she accepted that it would not be gratifying.

She was growing to hate the word justice. 

It meant nothing to her, but at the same time, all that she could rely on depended on its existence. Maggie had always viewed things from all angles and usually understood the drives and motives behind each action. It was, in her mind, one of her best qualities. Most people just viewed her as weak and indecisive, but the one thing that always got under her skin, was Involving the innocent.

Her, Uncle Randy and Aunt Rose, possibly even Harry Potter. 

All of them are innocent, but not a thought is given to that factor. In a way, that must have been what compelled her to accept the things around her. The underlying knowledge that by letting these actions go unencumbered, she was promoting their acceptance. That was how she found herself bundling up her meager possessions under her arm and slipping out through the back door with not a trace of her presence left behind. 

She wandered up and down the streets of Hogsmeade for what seemed like hours, awaiting the idea that was sure to dawn upon her. The only comfort that she contented herself with was that she was doing the 'right thing'. Somehow though, the chill night air that was cutting through to her skin did nothing to set her mind at ease.

Idea. Annnnnyyyy minute now.

Eventually, she gave up on wandering through the streets and trudged to the border of the thick forest separating her and the castle upon the crest of the ravine. As foreboding as it looked, nothing could be feel worse than the cold vice of guilt closing in on her chest. Still no ideas. So she did the only thing that she could think to do (which may have also been the stupidest thing she could think to do.) And stepped into the woods.

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After over three hours of wandering through the forest, her arms were scratched, her toes, peeking out from under the straps of her sandals, were bloody, but the most disheartening of all, her resolve was weakening.

She would have returned to Rosie and the encompassing warmth of the three broomsticks a thousand times over, were it not for the fact that she was hopelessly lost. The trees looming up on either side of her had all begun to look the same and even before she lost her orientation, Maggie had possessed very little understanding of the local geography. 

Lost in her thoughts as she was, Maggie had failed to recognize the familiar murmur of voices, speaking in hushed, hurried tones, until she was nearly amongst them. The moment she realized what she was hearing, an icy fear gripped her like cold knives dragged across her skin. She dropped to her stomach, and unluckily landed on a twig that pierced the skin above her hip, emitting a small, sharp cry, she buried her face in her arms, hoping to stifle the sound. slowing her breath, which was coming in short, uneven gasps, and controlling her wildly shivering form were more difficult to handle by curling into a tighter ball on the forest floor.

The voices beyond the trees. It was like her dream!

The voices murmured for a few minutes more and then cut off abruptly, leaving the area silent but for the rustling grass in the night wind. Footsteps moving away from Maggie were the most welcome sound in the world, but still she held her breath for a full minute before the crunching of grass underfoot faded into the distance. 

Drawing a deep, cautious breath, Maggie staggered to her feet and brushed the dirt and leaves off her front. A quick survey of the damage revealed that her square rimmed glasses had cracked and spidery shatters spread across the rim. Pulling back her cloak revealed that the small twig embedded in her side had drawn blood and splinters were still lodged under her skin. Wincing as she pulled them out, Maggie cleaned away the blood and used a few bandages from her kit to seal the wound over.

On shaky knees, she stumbled a few feet between the trees before the sharp snap of a twig caused her to turn sharply, all of her senses on hairtrigger. Not another sound came from that corner of the woods but as she turned back to her path, ahead of her, not 20 feet away, was a dark, low slung figure. 

Maggie's breath caught in her throat and she choked back a scream as she made out the vauge form of a large boarhound through the shatters of her glasses. It was heaving with exertion and its fur was bristling. Sharp teeth were bared in a menacing gesture and the moon glinted off their stained ivory surface. It emitted Low growls from deep within its throat and settled back on its haunches in preparation to attack. Maggie tore in the opposite direction at a wild pace. The damp bed of leaves underfoot caused her feet to slip out from under her and crash face first into the forest floor. The rough low barks of the dog were getting closer every second and it was only a matter of time before it caught her. Scrambling for a hold on her hands and knees she frantically grabbed for something, anything to defend herself. A few feet away was a thick sapling stump protruding from under the foliage. She tore it away from the damp earth and stood in an uneasy stance with the branch held in an iron grip before her. The dog tore through the distance between them at such and alarming rate that Maggie stepped back, surrendering some of her ground and felt her back collide with a firm, cool surface that gave in a little as she pressed up against it. 

Before she had a chance to react, a beefy, muscled hand reached down and clamped hard down on her shoulder. A scream ripped forth from Maggie's throat and resounded through the trees all around. Startled, the figure dropped her back to the floor where she jumped back to her feet, still shouting threats and swinging the stump wildly around at anything that got within reach. After a few seconds of this, The huge hand wrenched the branch from her grasp and hurled it through the woods. It lifted her off the ground, still kicking and screaming wildly, and proceeded to give her a good shake.  
"Stop" it" He shouted, and shook her some more "Fang can't take much more 'o that an' neither can I for that matter!!"

Puzzled, she ceased her wailing and squinted through the darkness at the man that held her. That voice sounded vaugely familiar.

"About time li'l missy." He guffawed. "I was 'bout to let fang go 'head and slobber all over ya."

He lowered her until her feet touched the floor once more and dug a massive hand deep into his coat, producing a large lantern and a larger pink umbrella. After a few muttered words, the flame in the lamp sprung to life and illuminated the strange scene before her. 

The man holding the lantern was immediately recognizable as Reubus Hagrid, Rosies' friend from the pub. His wily black hair and beard, combined with his massive size, were unmistakable. He wore the same long brown jacket as the day she met him but by the searching look on his face, she guessed he hadn't made the connection between the dirty, wild girl before him and the polite young lady from the pub. Off to her left was the gigantic boarhound who was just sitting there scratching himself and slobbering, quite a lot, on the ground below.

"I'm Turribly sorry if Fang 'ere scared you." Said Reubus, ringing his hands together. "Strangers tend to excite 'im, that's all!" 

"No really, I'm all right." She said. It did seem as though the dog had lost all of his power to evoke fear now that she saw his only real threat was drowning her in saliva. It wasn't an impossibility either, considering a small, gooey pool had already formed at his feet.

"Oy!" Said Mr. Hagrid, eyeing her suspiciously. "Are you from 'ogwarts? I don't recall seeing you around 'ere."

"Actually, Im not" she kicked at the ground. "But I'm headed in that direction..... Do you think you could help me get there? I mean, you look like you are so accustomed to finding your way around these woods." A little compliment here and there couldn't hurt she thought.

"Well, I do make it a point to know all the business here at 'ogwarts." Hagrid swelled with pride."But 'ow do I know that I can trust you? For all I know, you're in league with You-know-who 'imself." He had suddenly turned very somber.

"You mean Voldermort?" 

Hagrid bristled and turned very white all of a sudden. He jumped forwards and clamped a massive hand over her mouth, as if he were afraid she was calling down all hell upon them with every word she spoke. 

"Never.....ever.....say....that.....name!!!" Hagrid demanded in a harsh voice. Wide-eyed, Maggie nodded and he lowered his hand from her face. "Its near a crime to say 'is name! 'ave you lost your senses?!"

"Uh...yea.....I guess i have" Maggie finished feebly.

"I s'pose i can't be leaving a young gal like yourself out 'ere on your own at night." Hagrid thought out loud "Ill 'ave to be showin' you to the castle, then. C'mon with you"

A wave of relief washed over Maggie so intensely that her weary knees nearly buckled beneath her and it took her a moment to realize that Mr. Hagrid had already begun to head off to the east, presumably in the direction of the castle.  
She sprinted forth to catch up with him and immediately regretted the swift movement for all the pain it caused her various lacerations.

Reubus Hagrid, looking back, found Maggie doubled over and stumbling in his general direction. She was walking at an awkward angle so as not to aggravate the delicate state her feet presented themselves in. Without a second thought, Hagrid scooped her up in one of his massive arms and despite her feeble protests, proceeded to carry her the distance from the forbidden forest to the castle.

The walk was a quiet one with an occasional remark from one or the other on the distance, the weather, or some local wildlife. Hagrid still hadn't recognized Maggie for the proper young girl at the three Broomsticks. That didn't surprise her, owing to her unremarkable features and mannerisms. At one point Maggie mentioned Harry Potter and Hagrid nearly burst with all his praise for Harry's skill in Quidditch, or his classes at the school, one of which Hagrid taught with an unusual relish; Care of Magical Creatures.

Looks like one more added to the many enrolled in the Harry Potter fan club. 

Maggie had grown to resent his popularity after a time. It seemed that no matter where you went in the wizarding world, the mention of his name brought about great praise of his achievements, concern for his heath and observations on his situation.

She had never gotten any attention like that.

Back in Canada she was just another punk tomboy with a dysfunctional family. She never got any attention from guys unless they were trying to get help hooking up with one of her friends. She had accepted at a young age that she wasn't very pretty so she gave up on all those endeavors. She immersed herself instead in friends, to escape her family and reading, to escape her messed up world. She was always separated from her friends in the sense that she wanted something more, more than the makeup and movies an girl-talk. She loved the adventures in her books and travel and she loved the idea of being a hero.

None of that ever came to her until this summer though. Travel: true, she was trekking all over England. Adventure: Not quite the way she had pictured it but better than nothing. No heroism yet though. Just pursuit, vengeance and now, possibly justice.

Damn justice. That was all she'd had going for her from the beginning really.

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They approached the castle near to 5:00 in the morning, so a little activity could be observed amongst the grounds.   
A stout, elderly woman who was harvesting some sort of weed at the edge of the forest cheerily waved at Hagrid and looked puzzled when she spotted Maggie tucked into his arm but let it pass without comment.

Hogwarts was a Sight to behold. It was an expansive grey stone castle complete with towers and turrets complete with old 18th century masonry. The entrance was barred by Grand solid oak doors that were intricately carved in the likeness of four different animals. The badger, the snake, the raven and the lion. Maggie vaugely remembered Hermione mentioning some sort of 4 house familiars for the school. A dazzlingly huge lake rested placidly alongside the castle, its dark waters undisturbed by even the wind. The sight of it prodded something forgotten in Maggie's Memory and made a small shiver run down her spine.

Hagrid Placed Maggie down on the stone steps leading up to the entrance doors and pushed them ajar with his massive ham-sized hands. Together, they wandered through the wide stone corridors of the School and Maggie trailed a few feet behind to marvel at the wondrous expanse around her. 

The paintings on the wall spoke to her as she passed. It was wholly unnerving to interact with something that should be inanimate but she had grown a bit accustomed to it by greeting a small portrait on the wall of the pub every morning for the sake of civility.   
She was NOT prepared for what came next.

A man wearing a silvery-gray frock appeared seemingly out of nowhere ahead of them. His clothing didn't move as he did, it was kind of.....suspended, and for that matter, it was opaque.

"Uuhhhh. Hagrid?" She reached up to tap him on his gargantuan shoulder. "What is that?"

"Why, its only the Fat Friar."

"Oh"

"Yep. 'es 'ufflepuffs resident ghost." 

"Oh..........Hagrid?"

"Mmnn?"

"Hogwarts has ghosts?"

"Ah, well. Im sure that you're used to dealing with poltergeists and the like." He nodded "All of our ghosts are very well cultured and behaved. Very few like to haunt at all."

Right, Thought Maggie. Play along. Smile and Nod. But honestly, was she expected to talk to ghosts? As they drew nearer to the Fat Friar it became evident that he was, in fact, a ghost. He looked like an ordinary person. Except he was silvery-opaque. And suspended a foot above the ground. And Dead. A bit weird, that.

"Why Hagrid!" Greeted the friar. "A good morning to both you and your companion. Whoever she may be?"

Hagrid Faltered for a moment realizing that she had never asked Maggie for her name. She couldn't stand to see him flounder after he had been so nice to her. 

"My name's Kaliey, Kaliey Heinen." She offered, using her old alibi from the train. "Im very pleased to meet you."  
Maggie held her hand out in a gesture of welcome but regretted it when The friar reached forward and his hand plunged through hers. It was as if it had fallen asleep and been packed in snow all at once. Maggie managed to keep her smile straight though as she withdrew her hand and once more, trailed slowly after Hagrid down the corridor. "It was nice to have met you!" Maggie called back down the corridor but it was too late, because the Friar was already moving off through one of the stone walls.

Weird.

Turning a few more corners, they found themselves in front of a towering stone gargoyle in a dead end hallway. Hagrid appeared to be trying to recall something and was murmuring to himself. After a time, he approached the Gargoyle and said in a clear voice. "Levitating lolly!"

The Gargoyle turned and descended into the stone floor, revealing a narrow circular staircase leading up into the unknown. Hagrid barely squeezed through the stone archway and Maggie strolled behind, eyeing the walls as she went. The staircase opened into a wide room with lush red carpeting and hundreds of portraits of elderly men and women lining the walls. Bookcases were filled end to end with rich tomes and volumes against each corner. An elderly man sporting a long purple hat and floor length beard peered out at her from behind half moon glasses. He sat deep im paperwork behind a mahogany desk and behind his shoulder was perched the most magnificent animal that she had ever seen. It was a magnificent bird with a deep red-gold plumage that hung its head under its wings which tips were tinted with blue. It looked like the embodiment of flame.   
The elderly man behind the desk stood slowly and quietly observed Maggie for a few moments.   
"Young lady." He began "I do not believe, that you and I have been introduced." 

"'er name's Kaliey Heinen, professor Dumbledore. I found her out wandering in the woods alone at night." Hagrid rushed through his words. "I know it ain't too wise of me sir, but begging your pardon, i couldn't leave 'er out there alone."

"Of course Hagrid." He replied. "But now i believe that it may be best for miss Heinen to explain herself before we go any further." 

Both of the men looked to her and Maggie couldn't help but stammer for all the attention she was receiving.

"Well." How to get out of this one? "Im Kaliey and i went to a wizard school in Canada. I graduated early. Really early for my age. I just wanted to spend some time getting to know all about the other wizarding schools around the world and i guess that brought me here."

Hagrid looked blank, as he tended to do. The headmaster on the other hand, had a slow smile and his eyes were twinkling merrily under his thick white brows. 

"That all seems to be in order." He turned to Hagrid. "Severus needs some powdered toadstool for the first year lesson tomorrow, would you kindly fetch some fresh specimens from the greenhouses Hagrid?"

With a quick nod in her direction, Mr. Hagrid rushed out the door, eager to help out Dumbledore, who he seemed to hold in high reverence.

"I believe that you are the young woman who i have been warned of by a certain Mr. Allouitious Figg." Maggie eyes bulged in her head. He knew she had been lying! Problem! "I am well aware of you situation and am more than happy to accommodate you here at Hogwarts until you find what it is you are searching for."

"Ummmm....."

"Not as a student of course. Even for Hogwarts, it is unusual to initiate a student into a house at the beginning of the year. You may stay on as a teachers aide. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, you will assist professor Severus Snape In the teaching and formulation of his potions class. On Tuesdays, you can assist Hagrid with his Care Of Magical Creatures subjects. All other days will be free for you to act of your own accord. I must warn you though; although you are not a student here, all the school rules apply to you as well."

He was so direct in hi administration that there was not a single thought of doing other than what he had said. He began to outline the rules she was to abide by, but she was only half listening. This man had solved all of her problems, and judging by his mannerisms, had no plan to reveal her to Harry Potter Or any of the staff. Allouitious had already contacted The Headmaster of the school. He must have been very sure that she would pursue Harry Potter instead of returning to her home. He read her like a book.

"As for your magical ability," he continued. "Due to your heritage and history, it is unlikely that you possess any, but due to the dangers of being in the magical community unarmed with absolute ignorance of us and our customs, I feel it is unwise to allow you to roam free with the limited knowledge you do possess Therefore, my dear, you will sleep in the kitchens with the house elves and they will tutor you in ways of the magical community."

"The kitchens like Cinderella?" She was incredulous "and elves? Like pointy ears?" 

"All of that will be explained in time." He confided. "As I see it, you will be given a magnificent opportunity to live and learn in another culture. All of your arrangements at home have been taken care of. Your aunt and Uncle believe that you are with your mother, she believes you are in the company of your father, and he that you are with her."

"You did all that just to indulge a little girl you don't even know?" Maggie was skeptical

"Some things are better done with a minor interference. My philosophy is that we all have a part to play in others lives, and only we choose whether the impact is good or otherwise." He conceded. "After all, Muggle Maggie. Who am i to interfere with Justice?"

His eyes twinkled again and this time the smile was one full of secrets.   
Mabye Her Justice would be found after all.

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TBC  
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I know i used justice a lot in this chapter but i think im going to make that the theme of Maggie's search. Its more fitting than revenge after all, and the two aren't all that different. (Jello is also a dish best served cold.)

Thanks again to all who reviewed.

**Tajuki Soupofthedaysara**

WeaslyTwinsLover112 RiddleStar  


You guys kick all ass. 


	13. The Kitchens

Hehehe...sorry it took so long to update.... Midterms and stuff taking their toll.

I wrote another fic :**Chasing The Sea**. Its a Draco/Ginny whimsical not-quite romance. Go on and read it.

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**A World Unknown-- Chapter 13: The Kitchens. **

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After Dumbledore was finished he sent her on her way with vauge directions on how to reach the great hall. The directions were so vauge, in fact, that she got to the end of the hallway before finding herself completely and utterly lost.

On either side were wide stone corridors hung with draperies and portraits that stirred and tried to pretend they were asleep so she would leave them alone. One particularly unusual one did quite the opposite and challenged her to a duel, on the grounds that she was trespassing. She stared at the knight until he shut up and also pretended to be dozing.

Keeping a low profile wasn't her biggest problem, since the robe she had stolen from that Neville boy had a Hogwarts insignia printed on it. So she had no inhibitions with exploring the relatively empty school. After a few minutes of wandering though, the tapestries all started to look the same and it wasn't until Maggie came across a wide stairwell that she thought she'd been getting anywhere at all. She strolled down the steps, but before she was given the chance to reach the bottom, the stairs gave a great tremble and broke away from the wall, carrying her with it. It rotated on place until it lurched into place on the opposite wall. Maggie clung to the banister with her eyes screwed shut, awaiting her inevitable death for a few moments before she realized nothing further was going to happen. 

The foot of the staircase led the way to a heavy oak door engraved with the Hogwarts crest. Some words in Latin were carved along the frame but for the most part, it looked fairly safe, so she heaved it open and slipped inside. 

She found herself in a grand library filled with hundreds upon hundreds of dusty tomes lining on dark shelves. Lanterns sat in the middle of heavy wooden tables between them .The only sound in the entire room was the soft turning of pages by the stern looking librarian, who offered her a quick glance as she entered before turning her attentions back to her book. The overall atmosphere of the room was calming and quiet, a refreshing change to Maggie after the wild adventure she had unwillingly partaken in by getting here.

Ambling between the tables, she inspected a few of the volumes that were stacked on the tables. 

_Winning Witches of the 17th Century_, by Hagatha Mordeaux ; _To Atlantis and Back_, Martinia Gouffirec ; _The Life and Times of Grindelwald_, Hortence Roundwood.

She was in the Non-fiction section.

Looks like everything about being at Hogwarts was going to take some getting used to. Even their Dewy Decimal system......

The slam of a Heavy book cover drew her attention away from the literature to one of the tables on the far side of the room. Apparently she wasn't the only on here at this unusual hour in the morning. By the looks of it, the girl had pulled an all nighter. Her eyes were drooping, her clothes wrinkled, her hair was disheveled.

Or was that just frizz? 

Oh shite!

Hermione Granger Sat at the opposite end of the room, fighting weariness to keep her eyes open and glued on the book in front of her. Maggie panicked and dropped behind the stack of books to her left, holding her breath against the chance that the other girl had spotted her. 

The last thing she needed was a run in with Harry Potter or any of his friends before she was prepared. 

And she was definitely not prepared. 

Her hair was falling in her face, the elastic that held it lost forever on the forest floor, her face was dirty, her clothing torn. Definitely NOT prepared. After a moment she peered out from behind the stacks to survey the situation and was pleasantly surprised. Hermione had fallen asleep, face resting atop her book and was snoring lightly. The harsh looking librarian had only just taken notice and was preoccupied with moving across the room to rectify the utter indignation, giving Maggie the perfect chance to slip out unnoticed.

She ventured out back into the hall and down more stairs, looking for more to explore, but fond nothing but empty classrooms. Once, she came across another ghost, sporting a frilly pompadour and rather large, poofy sleeves. Eventually, she reached the main entrance where she had come in and immediately to her left, was the great hall.

It was large and warm with four long bench-lined tables spread throughout and one higher one at the far end. Presumably, for the teachers. She made her way through the tables, to the corner and tickled the pear at the end of the hall just like Dumbledore said. It actually giggled and shook, causing her to jump, but the portrait swung away to reveal a whitewashed stone passage. She warily went on and found herself in an impressive kitchen. The most impressive thing about it wasn't the legion of stoves, or sinks, or the merry fire blazing in the grate. It was the expanse of little, wrinkly people scurrying left and right, carrying plated of eggs and toast for the school's breakfast. Upon her entrance, seven or eight of them rushed forwards, backing her into a corner and bombarding her with eager compliance to help out in any way they could. 

"May Lindy fetch you tea miss?"

"Would miss like some toast?" 

"Can I be helping miss with her package?"

"Miss. Miss? Miss!"

Maggie backed into the wall with a cringe on her face. These must be the house elves. 

She had to spend her time in here with these little midgets?

Bad day. Bad day. Bad day.

She declined their offers of food but let one take her bundle and another lead her away to a washbasin to clean up. When she returned from the cleaning room, they had already produced a new robe, better fitting and without tears, but this one replaced her current red lion on the sleeve with a small green serpent. She recalled it being the Slytherin symbol, the only house Hermione seemed to have any distaste for. 

Oh well. Works for me. 

The house elves crowded around her and introduced themselves one by one after she informed them she was the new teacher aide and she'd be staying here in the kitchens. Apparently, they were expecting her by word of the elusive Headmaster Dumbledore. She forgot every one of their names before they had finished saying them, they all sounded like Mindy, Winky,or Tindle anyway. The one who did stick out like a sore thumb was an odd little elf with a squashed nose named Dobby. He wore mismatched socks and a massive maroon jumper with a little french beret on his head. All the other elves wore simple ratty sacks tied in place with shoelaces or dental floss. 

When she asked him about his clothes, he was bursting to tell her of his liberation from a cruel wizarding family, and how he worked for wages. All the others scoffed at him while he spoke but he seemed oblivious. A true black sheep. He pointed out another little House elf, this one a girl, who wore a worn navy skirt and blouse who had kept quiet and unnoticed in the fray. Dobby quickly drew her attention back though, when in his ramblings, he mentioned the name Harry potter.

Did everyone in this whole goddamn society have a personal connection to him?!!

Dobby ranted on about how good, great, brave Harry Potter Gave him a sock and some stupid thing like that. He mentioned some sort of diary and she got really interested when he told her about a kidnapping and the Chamber of Secrets. 

So Harry was famous for more than just his Parents and that Voldemort guy? Interesting......

After Dobby was finished, he rushed off to help prepare the breakfast and suddenly, Maggie found herself bone-weary. Having not slept all night was taking its toll. She fought to keep her eyes open and asked the nearest Elf about a place to rest for the morning. He directed her to a simple cot in a tiny back room and she left him with strict instructions to wake her up before lunch. 

He wandered off and left her in her little Cinderella-constantly-living-in-the-kitchens thoughts.

Well. Not quite Cinderella. 

And she slept.

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Thanx again to all my reviewers and all the reviewers on ff.net in general. You guys own this place.

_We built this city......or website.....on reviews!!!_

Umm ok. Go and read these** now!**

_The book of Jude, (ff.net) by soupofthedaysara._

Anything by tajuki (ff.net)  
  
Rl (zelda, ff.net) by elfboylover.

And Roman Holiday (witchfics.org) by Anna.

Those things are choice fiction!!

Peace out ~Mags~


	14. Greener With The Scenery

Please don't sue me. Feel free to review. 

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A World Unknown---Chapter 14 : Greener with the scenery.

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She was dreaming again.

Disembodied, floating, call it what you will. Maggie was doing it. She was hundreds of feet in the air, with nothing beneath her feet and only the inky sky providing a backdrop for her and the pearly stars above. Below her - FAR below her - was a quiet suburban street. The elegant streetlamps lining the road hinted she was far from her home in alberta and she felt right in her assumption that below her was an increasingly familiar London.

But where was privet drive? Maggie squinted, took off her glasses and wiped them on her sleeve, then squinted down some more. It took her less than a minute to locate what she was looking for. A bit of movement on the quiet street was all that alerted her to it. 

As soon as her eyes had swept onto privet drive, she was there. The spectacular English sky was back far above her where it belonged and she, in turn was back with her feet on the ground. 

The turn of a knob and a familiar voice made her spin on her heel to face what she had both hoped for and dreaded. Not 20 feet away was #4 privet drive, and emerging from the house, were her aunt and uncle. They spoke a few cheery words to the people inside and shut the door behind them. 

That's when Maggie noticed, she was with them. Not her, but the her from that night. Wearing her flowered dress, and tagging behind her aunt and uncle for a last reflection on stupid Harry Potter. The eerie feeling that had been building up inside of her swelled and she choked back a gasp. She was witnessing the events of last Saturday night that had set this ordeal in motion!

She could see Aunt Rose up ahead, fishing the key out of her purse, and behind the Dursley's car, her other self strayed, oblivious to the iminent danger. Maggie tried to make her feet move, she tried to scream and warn them but not a sound came out of her mouth and her feet stayed suspended as they were. Silent tears ran down her cheeks as her aunt retrieved the key and her heart pounded wildly in her chest when it clicked in the lock.

She woke up in a cold sweat.

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Maggie lay in the cot trying to catch her breath. 

The once pristine sheet over her lay on the floor in a crumpled heap, and her hair was disheveled around her shoulders; It clung to her damp forehead and her wrinkled robes with reckless abandon. She smoothed her hair as best she could and took a few very deep breaths before she rolled out of the cot and back into the main kitchens.

The house elves, it seemed, remained in perpetual motion. Each of them was as awake and hyper as ever, scurrying to and fro to collect the various platters of toast and sausages that lay around the kitchen. As one pattered past, she snatched some toast off his tray and slunk back to her room, unnoticed. 

Five hours of deep sleep was a luxury, even with the plague of bad dreams she thought she had finally lost. Munching on her toast thoughtfully, she tried to form a basic plan for how she was going to keep out of sight for as long as possible. Surprise was the only advantage she had on her side anymore.

The little house elf from before came in to check on her, telling her that it was time for 'miss' to go to lunch, and that after she was to meet professor snape in the potions lab.

Professor snape? What a cheery name.

Sounds like this lady needs a little fun in her life.

So she ate. The food at Hogwarts was surprisingly good. Certainly better than any idea that she had about school food. The cafeteria back at home would be put to shame by this roast beef sandwich.

She headed back out of the narrow passage leading to the kitchens and found herself back in the great hall. It was deserted except for a few scattered older students playing chess or some sort of card game. She approached a pair who had stacked the cards up to an impressive height and meekly cleared her throat to gain attention. 

They looked up at her and then, registering her 'slytherin' crest and colors, turned their heads away with disdain. Maggie felt more than a bit alienated and all over the robe she wore. She tried again.

"Pardon, but can you show me to professor Snape's class?" She inquired, "Im a bit lost."

The two boys playing cards ave each other a quick glance and stared up at her in the most condescending manner. 

"Having trouble finding your own homeland, snake?" The first one - a Hufflepuff - sneered. "Last time I checked, your kind were too high above the likes of us to actually lower yourself to asking for directions." 

Maggie gaped, mouth ajar at this outburst. Hermione had said a little about the rivalry between houses but nothing ever hinted to such a serious dispute as this. She was about to have an outburst of her own when she was cut short by a hand on her cloaked shoulder.

Her words halted before parting from her lips and she let out the breath she had been about to use on the two ingrates in front of her. Downcast, she turned around to face the cause of the interruption. 

Her eyes came up at level only to meet another Slytherin badge, with a shiny 'P' on it less than four inches away. She stared up to find a blonde boy about a head taller than her, glaring at the two older boys with seething contempt. 

"Macmillan, Bartlett, 5 points off both Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw for the direct malicious intent towards a younger student!" 

"You cant do that Malfoy!" The Ravenclaw raged, "there aren't any grounds for offence!" 

"Who said I needed grounds? Now clear off Bartlett, before i make it 10."

The two boys tipped the cards into their bags and threw a withering glare at him before sulking off down the hall, muttering mutinously. Maggie stared after them, her hands on her hips for a moment before she turned back to the other boy. 

"Do you think you could tell me where to........." Maggie trailed off.

In front of her was the hottest guy she had ever seen. He was tall and lean - probably a jock, she mused - with a swept back sheath of cornsilk hair. His nose was aristocratic and he had the fairest skin she had ever seen on a guy. He looked almost a bit dangerous, still glaring at the retreating backs of the boys, but from what she could see of his bright grey eyes, she was impressed. 

She suddenly felt very stupid, standing there in the borrowed robe looking for directions from this hella hot boy.

"He seemed to remember that she was still there and glared at her now, with his incredible eyes. Maggie shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny for a moment until he spoke.

"Well.........Weren't you saying something?"

"Oh, yeah" she stammered. "Ah, could you maybe give me directions to Professor Snape's room?"

"Snape?" He questioned, looking her over again. "You in trouble?" 

"No!" She said, a bit too quickly. "I have a ......tutoring session with him."

"Has hell frozen over?" He chuckled, revealing a row of shining milky teeth "No way the Snape concerns himself with the likes of lowly students." 

"Yeah, no way........" She trailed off, staring at him while he laughed to himself.

He stopped abruptly and glared at her, catching her stare. She turned away quickly and blushed all the way up to her hairline. Once more, she endured his scrutiny for a moment, until he snapped his fingers and made her jump a little.

"Now I know where I've seen you before!" He triumphed. "Your the daughter of the Mariotts, right? Evian, was it?"

Let him think what he wants, she thought. "Yep, that's me." 

One more alter ego to add to her arsenal. 

He introduced himself as Draco. How very medieval, Maggie approved. He rambled on a bit about her supposed parents in an aloof tone without her really listening. Eventually, he gave her a few simple directions to the professors Classroom and sent her on her way. 

Before she had made two steps, he called her back for a minute, and she turned reluctantly, not wanting to delay any longer. The next words out of his mouth made her freeze.

"I don't recall seeing you around the school often." It was an open ended statement. 

Maggie tried to think fast but she was pulling up blanks. Not thinking, she mumbled a few words his way.

"Homeschool......mfgtrrr...... Tutoring.........travel..."

And she slipped out of the hall, with quick steps and shoulders hunched .

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Professor Snape's classroom turned out to not only be located in a dungeon, but a dreary dungeon as one could possibly hope for. The walls were dark stone and damp, the atmosphere was eerily silent and there was the distant echo of dripping water in her ears.

Not to mention, the whole hall was cold like nobody's business.

She raised a hand to knock on the heavy wooden door with, disturbingly enough, iron bars planted across the one small window cut into the solid wood. When no answer came, she knocked again and waited a few more moments. She was lifting her hand to knock a third time when the door swung open, its rusting hinges screaming in protest, to reveal a dark figure with darker robes. Black hair hung down to heavily cloaked shoulders and a few stray strands clung to their face. Whoever it was had pale, sallow skin and sunken eyes behind elegantly high cheekbones.

There was silence as the figure glared down at Maggie for a few moments until she couldn't stand it any longer.

"Excuse me madam, are you by any chance professor Snape?" 

The figure jerked and then responded through gritted teeth in a voice that could cool molten glass.

"Step inside Miss Heinen. Although, frankly, I must say that your poor observation skills are even more lacking than your manners."

Maggie grimaced - how charming - and stepped across the threshold into the dimly lit room.

And he pulled the door shut behind her.  
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Sorry sorry sorrysorrysorrysorry. Didn't mean to put this chapter off for so long. Feel free to stone me if the urge takes you. 

I always pictured Draco Malfoy as a man bitch around Harry but a completely different person when he wasn't being overly malicious. As well as HOTTTTT! No, Maggie isn't boy crazy, and she isn't even crushing on him, but his physical presence was a bit much for her. 

We have ALL met hot people and been struck dumb.

(I mentioned earlier on that she had really average looks, so that's why Draco thought she was someone else. You have no idea how often that happens to me.)

**Thanks for the reviews!! **

  



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